All Articles for Category: Podcasts

Quick Note: For some reason, our recording here went pretty off-kilter. It required a lot of editing and tweaking to make it listenable. Sorry for the worse-than-normal sound quality. We're not sure what happened.

Wow, I'm only a couple days removed from the event and I still can't believe how perfect it was.

A really fun show, great guests, lots of laughs and a perfect venue combined with an amazing audience to make for a perfect afternoon, followed by the after-party. It truly was nothin' but a good time.

It really was amazing. Thank you all so much for coming and for all of the kind words. It was overwhelming.

As for the podcasts, I've started to go through the audio and they should hopefully be up relatively soon. I think our Vegas Gang interview with Derek Stevens of The D and the Golden Gate was pretty awesome - you won't want to miss it. I'll be passing off the Five Hundy audio to Tim and I'm sure that will go up sometime soonish as well.

In addition, we've got some great photos from our various meet-ups, the Murrening group shot that we took at Aria (almost kiboshed by security) and a little last minute 'paint the balloon' protest that was staged on The Strip in front of Paris (complete with the Friday night crowd joining in).

A listener contacted me and reminded me that the first three episodes of the Vegas Gang were not on the VGang Web site... I looked around and thought they were lost but no, it turns out I did have them. I'm re-posting them here for anyone curious.

Thank you all for voting for us in the Trippies. Thanks to you, we took home our first prize. Personally, it's something I've really wanted to win since we started the show. I know Jeff would have been really proud. I can't thank you all enough.

You know, we're still trying to find our way without Jeff. It's tough to find a rhythm. I hope you enjoy this interview, despite the fact that it was somewhat self-indulgent on my part, digging into technical topics that may be more interesting to me than others.

Still, gaming technology is fascinating... and will only become more important - so I recommend you listen.

This time on the show:

- An interview with Aron Ezra and Keith Michel from Bally Technologies.

The Vegas Internet Mafia Family Picnic has a confirmed venue: The Mezz @ Planet Hollywood. For those unfamiliar, this is part of the area upstairs that overlooks the casino, a perfect spot to host our shenanigans.

Expect the unexpected: Vegas Gang LIVE, VT Match Game, Stump Dr. Dave and more... It's your chance to come out and have a hell of a lot of fun with your fellow Vegas addicts. We can't wait to see you there.

The kind folks at Caesars Entertainment are providing some room deals and we'll have the links for those shortly. It's looking to be a popular weekend in town so I'd recommend booking sooner rather than later.

Planning to come? Let us know in the comments. Not planning to come? Shame on you.

Just a note that our own Jeff Simpson will be a panelist on Nevada Week on Review, airing tomorrow. The show, actually taped last week, also includes Steve Friess, Mike Weatherford from the RJ and John Katsilometes from the Sun.

The topics are centered around the non-gaming side of the resort industry.

The show airs tomorrow, 8/5 and again on 8/6 on PBS Channel 10 at 7:30pm. You can also see the show via the Web site or as a video podcast, typically available the following Monday.

I'm teaming up with the guys at the 360 Vegas Podcast to include a new segment on their podcast, featuring recent reviews posted to the site and to my Vegas Mate app. It's going to be a lot of fun, but first, how about a few words about the show itself...

360 is only at episode number eight and that means you might not yet know about this new entry in Vegas podcast-land. The weekly show, run by irreverent co-hosts Bryan and Mark, is a lot of fun. To put it simply, if you're a fan of Five Hundy, Vegas Tripping, the Gang and this site, you should dig 360. The show is well produced and includes an extensive re-cap of everything from restaurant openings and closings and slot jackpots to the best recent Vegas TwitPic.

If you're addicted to Vegas info, you should add 360 to your playlist. They're on iTunes here.

As for the segment in question, they're going to be picking their favorite new VM/RV review each week to feature on the show. I read every single review that goes into Vegas Mate and they range from expected to hilarious.

All good (?) things must come to an end and since our venue of choice, SLS Las Vegas, won't be available until 20never, we've decided there won't be a live VPP show this year.

A big thanks to everyone that came out over the past three years as well as to The Palms for hosting the first two and The Flamingo for taking care of last year. I think I can speak for everyone involved when I say we really appreciate the support.

My favorite thing about VPP was having a single event that brought several disparate-but-affiliated communities together in person. That part of it was really fun every year and I hope something else fills that void. I also hope that I can attend that mythical event as a civilian instead of an organizer.

In the first four episodes of the show, it's become clear that Mike is a great interviewer - fun to listen to, pulling out tons of random info.

I like the TLV show for the same reason I love VegasTripping - no nonsense, no bullshit info. Mike's not afraid to say when something sucks or when he thinks John Curtas' stamp of approval on a specific restaurant means squat.

It's pretty raw and brash but very entertaining. Check it out, I think you'll enjoy it.

Our guest on the Vegas Gang will be Tom McCartney, the president over at the Tropicana. I'm looking forward to talking with him, hearing Rita Rudner as the guest on The Strip and then watching Tim and Michelle knock it out of the park again with Five Hundy By Midnight.

You don't have to stay at The Flamingo to come to the show but this is a great deal so please take a look.

In addition to the great room package, The Flamingo is offering a 3X RC multiplier for Podcast-a-palooza guests! The details on how to get your point upgrades will be forthcoming but this component will be available to everyone coming to the event, not just people that stay in the hotel.

Thanks so much to Harrah's and The Flamingo for being so generous - support our hosts!

Episode 50! Thanks for all the support. This is our first episode using Skype to record the show - still working on proper levels, etc... so please bear with us. Hopefully sound quality is vastly improved.

I am very happy to announce that Vegas Podcast-a-palooza 3 will take place October 30th, 2010 at the Fabulous Flamingo on the Las Vegas Strip.

We'll do thethreepodcasts in the afternoon, followed by a little cocktail get-together - this is your chance to explain to me why the iPhone sucks, tell Chuck all about remembering to breathe or to ask Steve Friess if he knows how to make the Asian Equation.

Seriously, this is going to be a really fun time and we want all of you guys to come out, hang out, meet us and have some fun.

Doing the Vegas Gang show is one of my favorite things but even as much fun as it is, I'm constantly coming up with ideas to make it better. Most of these turn out to be way too dumb to share with other humans but I finally have one experiment I want to try.

You, loyal listeners, can send trivia questions to me at this email address. I will pick one or two for the show. If the Gangsters can't answer correctly, I'll give you a $25 Amazon.com certificate. I'll be the screener and judge so I won't be able to give answers on the show.

See, I think the guys are pretty good and I don't think you'll be able to stump them but who knows... Only real rule is that the questions have to be reasonable - don't ask how many tiles are on the floor in the Forum Shops for instance. Keep them focused on history, tourism and gaming and in the spirit of good fun.

We have a last minute scheduling change related to this Saturday's Podcast-a-palooza event at The Palms.

Our guest for the Vegas Gang, Alan Feldman, has a last minute obligation that will prevent him from attending. In his place we will have Gordon Absher, VP of Public Affairs for MGM Mirage. Gordon's been running point on a lot of City Center related stuff and I'm sure he'll be a fantastic guest. Before MGM Mirage, Gordon was at Mandalay Resort Group and has also worked in Nevada politics.

The rest of the lineup remains the same and we look forward to seeing you there.

I'll try not to go overboard on the 'Palooza stuff this week but I did want to mention that the good peoples at Planet Hollywood have been gracious enough to provide some potential prizes for Podcast-a-palooza guests.

I'm very excited to meet listeners, see friends from last year and generally have a good time. For those that *can't* be there in person, I'm about 99.9% sure we'll have a live stream through UStream.TV.

As some already know, I spent some time last week at Encore Las Vegas for what Wynn Resorts called 'Media Week'. Over the course of 5 days of events, various forms of media were invited to come stay at the hotel and participate in all sorts of events from back-of-house tours to eating in the restaurants.

Voting in the annual 'Trippies' award contest wraps up tomorrow at 7:11pm PT. This blog is nominated, as is the Vegas Gang Podcast and quite a few other great Vegas blogs, podcasts and fun hotel categories.

The LV Sun has an interesting article about the possibility of shifting the gaming age from 21 to 18 in Nevada in an effort to stimulate an industry that's hurting.

A few episodes ago, we discussed potential regulatory changes in gaming as a response to the economic crisis, though we focused on allowing strip clubs in casinos, the general concept is the same - will changes in regulation be sped along due to cash problems?

Clearly, something I'm interested in. Besides the podcast and this site, I just submitted my first Las Vegas related iPhone/iPod Touch application, Vegas Mate, to the iTunes App Store for review - it should be for sale very soon.

I'd love to do another Podcast-a-palooza and have main-stream media participating - it could take the event another couple of notches above where it was this year. I have hope.

I have some photos to post as well, as soon as I can get to it. I'm in the late beta stages for my iPhone application, 'Vegas Mate', trying to get it ready for sale very soon.

Thanks to The Palms, George Maloof and Steve Friess, all of whom contributed to make the event what it was.

Also, a special set of thanks to my co-hosts, some of whom I had not yet met in person. It was a thrill - I wish we could do the show live all the time - it was great.

Updated: Photos posted, including new rooms at The Mirage:http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/gallery/august2008 (yes, I know the photo gallery has some bugs like duplicate images and navigation problems - I need to get to fixing them one of these days).

I also need to give a big round of applause to Steve Friess for help with getting things setup, The Palms for hosting the event and taking a chance on a new idea, and to Chuck at VegasTripping.com for designing the fantastic info page.

Please, check out the page above and consider coming to the show - we really want a strong, lively audience there at The Palms.

This episode focuses on the CityCenter walkout and the economy vs. Las Vegas. We cover a few stories on the specifics, including an entry suggesting that LVS is heading for Chapter 11. That may be an extreme outcome but its an interesting discussion point.

Thanks to all participants. The podcast is in my normal feed for 'The Worst Las Vegas Podcast' but it will probably move to a dedicated feed. Also, if anyone can think of a good name, drop them in the comments.

Well, that was a great conversation... We had an in-depth talk with Chuck from VegasTripping.com who just recently has gotten back from Macau.

We went over everything from specific hotel talk on topics like Wynn Macau, Venetian Macau, Galaxy Starworld, MGM Grand Macau, Casino Lisboa and more. We also talked about the business - folks like Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, SJM, Melco and others.

Cotai, gaming industry topics, casino design and more. It was a great discussion and I'm hoping we can do another segment soon.

We'll be doing this on TalkShoe but here's how this will work - you guys submit some questions here on the site, I'll ask them in the first 30 minutes or so. The second half of the show will be open for general discussion. We'll see how that goes.

If you're planning on joining us, I strongly recommend you go to the TalkShow.com Web site ahead of time to sign up for an account and download the software. Strictly speaking, the software isn't required (only a telephone is really required) but having it gives you extra features.

If you really can't download the software, you can call in using this number: 724-444-7444 with the TalkCast ID of 44621. Without the software you might not be able to ask any questions as we won't be able to identify you in the system.

Steve Wynn is the guest on this week's, The Strip Podcast. He talks about Macau, nightclubs, and more. According to Wynn, Tryst is the top netting nightclub in town and Tao is fiddling with their numbers a bit. The interview is interesting and features a fun example of Wynn's office at work. Steve's thesis on why spending is up is sort of interesting.

Okay, our next live podcast will be on this coming Sunday, the 16th at 7pm PT / 10pm ET.

We will be doing the show live with audience participation encouraged. We did this last time and it was fun... Using a system call TalkShoe, listeners can call in and be on the 'air', just like a radio talk show.

All the details to get on will be posted here on Sunday before the show.

It's gonna be fun - there's always lots going on in Las Vegas. I'll talk about my recent one day trip and I have a special report from a friend who experienced 'VMA Weekend' first hand.

Show Completed: We had a great time with a lively discussion on a bunch of topics. The show will be posted soon. Stay tuned for the next one, probably on another Sunday evening.

My good friend Chuck at VegasTripping.com is heading to Macau next week. Despite being very jealous, I'm happy to send you guys over to his site to get the regular updates he'll be posting - I know that I'm looking forward to some very thorough reporting from the field, HST style.

If you want to follow the mayhem as it unfolds, here's the best link for the action:

Second up, their annual 'Best Of' list, the Trippies, are now open for nominations. Feel free to nominate us - the parent Web site, RateVegas.com, this blog and even our podcast, which we're bringing back into a more regular schedule with live call-in shows (next Sunday the 16th!).

Update: The podcast is now live... Check your iTunes. Talkshoe.com worked great and I expect to use it again in the future. It was fun having people being able to call in. Expect future shows to be in this format and we hope you'll join us next time

Once upon a time I was doing a podcast on a semi-regular basis... Listeners will be able to tell you that I've been off my game for a big chunk of time with regards to the 'cast.

I actually recorded a podcast not too long ago with some friends but to be honest, we had been drinking a bit and due to several massive ratholes, it shall remain unreleased.

I am determined to get something else out soon (big yellow post-it note!) and what I'll probably do is splice in the good bits from the bad episode, especially the calls cause our friend DrambuieMan called from Macau!

Ok, I'm trying something new - we're going to try a live broadcast of our podcast.

I'm recording a podcast tonight and while we will have all the regular recordings available, I am taking a queue from the podcasting king Leo Laporte and broadcasting this episode LIVE via TalkShoe.com. This means you can call in and listen to the show and participate live (i.e. ask questions).

Since I gave zero notice, I'm guessing that no one will show up but I wanted to try this anyway and we'll probably do this again with more warning. I'd love to take callers.

So, here's how to get in:

Visit Talkshoe.com and locate our show - it should show up if you search for 'Las Vegas' or 'RateVegas'. I'll update this story if I can get a specific URL or instructions. Okay - starting soon. Let's see what we can do.

Ok, I am aborting the live broadcast - I need more time to get this setup... We're going to record a traditional podcast and next time around we will schedule a live show with call-in. Sorry guys.

I just got word from my friends Steve and Miles over at The Strip Podcast that their upcoming Thursday night episode will feature some new words from Steve Wynn and based on what Steve told me in a follow-up email, we're going to hear a few things that we've never heard before.

Also, The Strip has announced their first (I think so, right?) live event. This coming Sunday, January 28th, they will be co-hosting a live discussion at the Ghostbar at the Palms. The discussion features the top celebrity journalists, Perez Hilton, Robin Leach, Norm Clarke and Carlos Dias from ExtraTV. More details are available at http://www.partyatthepalmswithperez.com. There's a $10 cover and the show gets going at 8pm so make sure to get there with plenty of time to get in and upstairs. If you've never been to the Ghostbar, this is a good time to check it out, when it's not full of drunken fools all competing to fall off the balcony. The proceeds from the event go to the NLGJA.

So, some hot activity on The Strip Podcast this week. The show is recorded on Thursdays at 7pm and you can participate in a live chat while they do the show. I'm planning on joining in this week - looking forward to it. The chat room is located at: LVRocks.com and there should also be links from the Strip Podcast site. See you on Thursday!

Updated Thursday: This episode is now available. Wynn talks a bit about the golf course, indicating the zoning was more to do with the way the mortgage is collateralized than anything else but the course will indeed be re-developed in a few years. He also said that he will never do a dense development like City Center, citing his lower cost of land as one reason he doesn't need to. I recommend you listen to the podcast.

I'm finally back with another podcast! This time around I'm talking about my recent trip to Bellagio (which includes meeting up with several readers/listeners and author Dave Schwartz) as well as the big news of the day - Harrah's going private! On top of that I catch up with a few news stories from the last two weeks. Enjoy!!

This podcast includes some audio clips from my recent trip to Las Vegas. I talk about construction on Encore, CityCenter, Palazzo, Aladdin and more. Also, some special guests including Tim and Michelle from Five Hundy By Midnight and loyal contributor Mike E. We listen to a few messages from listeners (thanks for the theme song!) and even find some time to talk Vegas news.

This time around we spend most of the podcast talking about Las Vegas nightclubs, specifically which ones are popular right now, what it takes to get in, all about 'bottle service' and other useful info for those folks that are interested in the clubs but maybe haven't yet taken the plunge.

I was lucky enough to get Mike E. on the show to fill in the holes in my knowledge - while I have visited a few of these places, they really aren't 100% my thing. Mike did great and I wanted to thank him again for helping out.

Ok, I hope you guys enjoy the podcast, this one is another long one at just about one hour.

A reminder - feel free to call in and leave us a message about anything Las Vegas or Web site related. The call in number is: 702-508-4232.

In this latest edition of the podcast, we cover a lot of ground, literally!

First up, here's a warning - this podcast is AN HOUR long. Sorry it is so long but there's a lot in here and I looked at cutting something but I decided that I simply didn't want to and thus here we are.

My friend Matt had called me about two weeks ago asking what my plans were on Halloween night. Matt�s one of the coolest people I know. He works at Wynn and we naturally hit it off because I loved picking his brain about the hotel business, the nitty-gritty of the hotels he�s worked in, etc. Good stuff.

As it has always been throughout my teenage years and into adult-hood, I was expecting a mighty fun Halloween filled with studying, sleep, and downright depression thinking I was the only one at home without an invitation to a party. Well, maybe the invitation Matt gave me was make-up for those years and years of crappy Halloweens. His plans: costume party in NTS Limo�s �Goliath� (the largest limo in Vegas) that would later spill into a two-bedroom, 3200 square foot Skyloft. Booze, girls, the works...

This blog, the parent site and even the podcast have all been nominated in the VegasTripping.com Trippie awards.

Ok, so I can't imagine winning in the podcast category. The Web site winning is also probably a bit of a stretch but possible... But seriously, this blog had better win. :-)

To do that, I need your help!

You can only vote once and no point in trying to cheat, it won't help us and it will probably make Chuck over there mad. Follow the rules and vote your ballots correctly and let the best bits and bytes win.

* What's Changed Since 2004 & Poker in Las Vegas - We talk about what it's like if you haven't visited in a couple of years plus what it is like if you have never sat down at a poker table in Las Vegas, just coming from an online poker environment.

This was a lot of fun to put together and if you're considering playing poker in Vegas, I think this is a must-listen for you. Thanks again to Phil for participating.

All, you are probably aware of The Strip Podcast, one of the more popular Las Vegas podcasts out there.

Well, their sponsor, Southwest Vacations, is giving away a trip to Las Vegas and I want to encourage you to think about signing up to win. Why you ask? Well, this is sort of a trial balloon for Southwest and other advertisers like them.

We want advertising in podcasts to succeed. I want to see more of it. It means better content if people can get paid to do it.

I play a couple of listener calls and talk about Macau, specifically the relationship between the Cotai Strip and the Peninsula and how that will impact operations for Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands.

Call our listener line, anytime: 702-508-4232

You can leave a message that we will read on the air. Grab the number and put it in your cell phone so you can even phone in from Vegas. Also, if you are a casino employee or otherwise have info, you can use this as an anonymous tip line to feed us the goods.

Ready to listen? If you subscribed in iTunes or another player, it's probably already downloading as it's been on the feed for awhile. If you don't use iTunes or aren't already subscribed, the links are below. If you want to listen right here on the site, click through after the jump where we have an embedded player, no download required.

I've really been enjoying this. I'm having fun with this and so I expect to keep on doing it for awhile. There are certainly better Vegas podcasts out there but this isn't what that is about... It's more like an extension to the blog and while I have a lot to learn, I think we've been doing an okay job so far.

Call our listener line, anytime: 702-508-4232

You can leave a message that we will read on the air. Grab the number and put it in your cell phone so you can even phone in from Vegas. Also, if you are a casino employee or otherwise have info, you can use this as an anonymous tip line to feed us the goods.

This time around I talk about Harrah's rejection of the first bid, the second bid and what might happen to their Strip plans if the deal goes through. After that, it's on to my thoughts on the Downtown Las Vegas casino gaming drop and if it was just a blip. Then lastly I talk about the future of the podcast and a little bit about what's coming up.

Once again, comments are welcome and phone messages are very much appreciated.

Ready to listen? If you subscribed in iTunes or another player, it's probably already downloading as it's been on the feed for awhile. If you don't use iTunes or aren't already subscribed, the links are below. If you want to listen right here on the site, click through after the jump where we have an embedded player, no download required.

Yes, that's two podcasts in a week... I have posted the fourth RateVegas podcast and this episode has an international bent.

I discuss the basics of Macau along with the info about Wynn Macau opening in early September. I also talk about Harrah's pulling out of competition for the second casino site in Singapore as well as our potential nomination for a "Trippie" award.

On top of all of that, we now have a listener line where you guys can call in to get a message read on the air. The number is: 702-508-4232. Go ahead and call us anytime, from the field in Las Vegas or otherwise.

I posted the second episode of the "Worst Las Vegas Podcast". Yes, it's two podcasts in a week. That's the way this thing is gonna be... Anyway, in this episode I talk about the Playboy Club at the Palms, a special talk with my friend Kevin on the Barbary Coast, and finally, a re-cap on my Bellagio tour from June.

Just point iTunes at that URL and you should get it, plus I submitted it to iTunes so when they review it, it will show in their directory as well.

I don't plan on podcasting on a regular basis but I do have to admit, it was fun. I doubt I'll take the time to do all the professional show stuff like a great intro, bumper music, etc... I just sat down in my little recording studio I have for my guitar and I scratched it out.

The episode talks about Harrah's plans for Las Vegas, Wynn in Atlantic City as well as the recent RateVegas.com chat. Future podcasts will focus on stories that we report on the Web site as well as some conversations with other people about some of those topics.

I'll likely build a special page on the site that shows the podcast episodes but for now the only way to get it is via the RSS link above.

This is a little bit outside the normal realm of Las Vegas news but Scott is a friend and I personally find this stuff interesting, so here goes:

PodWorx LLC is a new Las Vegas based company that specializes in helping businesses get their podcasting game on. The company is run by Scott Whitney, one half of the team that produces the entertaining Living in Las Vegas podcast.

So, if you're looking to expand your marketing reach with podcasting (and if you're not, you should consider it - huge potential in the podcasting stuff), take a look at the Web site and maybe give Scott a call... He's a nice guy, that I can vouch for.

So, I'm in Vegas checking out what is new and different and instead of just writing a simple note I decided to record audio as I walked through the properties... So, I guess this is the first Two Way Hard Three 'podcast'. I don't plan on podcasting on any kind of regular basis, this is a convenience thing. It's not short at over 30 minutes.

Anyway, if you don't like to hear people complaining about stuff, this isn't the podcast for you. I listened back and a lot of it is negative - I like talking about how people are screwing up... You have been warned.

NOTE: I recorded this late, late Friday night. I just listened to it again (and edited a bit). It's a little crazy sounding at times, very stream of consciousness. I also sound a little tipsy (never!). Hopefully I won't scare anyone off... Enjoy. I am off to a top secret meeting. Will report back when I have something to report.

According to Steve and Miles from 'The Strip Podcast' (who often break entertainment news on their podcast), MGM MIRAGE is killing off 'Hairspray' which is running at Luxor.

It's only been open four months but from what I have heard, attendance was poor from the get-go.

Steve and Miles briefly dissect the reasons behind the closure, taking a look at the idea that 'Hairspray' and 'Avenue Q' are a bit too off the beaten path for the average Las Vegas visitor. How will Phantom of the Opera (Venetian), The Producers (Paris Las Vegas) and Spamalot (Wynn Las Vegas) fare?

Based on one of the comments on one of my VegasLists, I found out about a really cool podcast by a couple that moved from the Bay Area in California to Las Vegas.

The podcast is professionally produced (the husband runs a custom music company and is an accomplished musician) and is really an interesting listen. If you've considered moving to Vegas and want to hear everything about buying a house, dealing with furnishing it, the hell of installing a pool and even the driving habits of the average Las Vegan, check it out.